"As every year, ASIFA-Hollywood hosts the state of animation panel at Comic-Con. Moderated by Larry Loc, the panel featured Tom Sito (“Osmosis Jones”), Jorge R. Gutierrez (“El Tigre”), supervising animator Lennie Graves, Mattel creative director Aki Umemoto, and “Animation Magazine” editor Ryan Ball. Sito called working as an animator is like being a jazz player, where you get some good gigs and some bad gigs, and some last long and others are one-offs. All the panel members agreed that the industry is good for CG artists and not so good if all you want to do is 2D. Gutierrez said that for TV animation it’s a great time because there is more animation on television than ever. As for the secret of success, he quoted John Lasseter as saying that quality is always the best business plan.

When asked about skills other than art skills, Sito mentioned that the business is a social community where he’s gotten more jobs over a sandwich at a party than pounding lobbies with his portfolio. Gutierrez said that time management was something that they never were taught in art school. His holy grail on “El Tigre” was to make a good show and remain friends with his crew. Graves added that humility is needed because then you’re always striving to be better. He also encouraged artists to live life and not be consumed by animation so they can bring themselves to their work. Umemoto added to that an animator needs to be an actor, as well as understanding timing. Ball continued by telling the crowd to be observers.

Loc then asked what films the panelists would recommend for animators to see. Ball recommended “Triplets of Belleville” for the acting. Umemoto and Graves went to the classics like “Citizen Kane.” Gutierrez said that “Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill!” changed his life, but also recommended watching foreign films that did well in the U.S. to find films that transcended cultural barriers. Sito said to watch a film three times – first watching for plot then for cutting, and lastly for lighting. As for his picks he recommended Ford and “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Thanks for summarizing the panel for us animation slackers that couldn't go. Interesting thoughts. More interesting is how you get your hair to curl like that. I leave mine in curlers all night and it won't do that.